What's this? Regurgitated earthworm mass

GlenT · #1 (**permalink**) 10-05-2011, 12:36 PM

Hello, I'm a new member, and not very wildlife "savvy", which is why I am coming to you for help. In our Hampshire garden today, we discovered a mass of regurgitated earthworms on the lawn. It was a large "splodgy" looking mass, roughly about 15 cm square. The worms were clearly visible - large ones! We do have foxes and cats wandering through the garden (neither of them belong to us!) as well as a wealth of birdlife.

Can anybody tell me what the worm splodge might have been, please?

tcvarlh · #2 (**permalink**) 10-05-2011, 01:07 PM

Welcome to WAB GlenT

This is not appetizing I know but could you photograph your 'regurgitation' I would help in solving (or not) your puzzle.

h

instructions for uploading are in the help section I think.

GlenT · #3 (**permalink**) 10-05-2011, 03:33 PM

If only I had thought about that this morning! Darn. In fact it occurred to me as I was posting my message above that we should have taken a photo before we washed the earthwormy splodge away. If we have a repeat performance of the weird stuff, then I will be sure to take a good digital image.

Thanks for your time and I promise to take photos of everything in future

Ladywell · #4 (**permalink**) 10-05-2011, 03:35 PM

Were they definitely earthworms or do you think that they could have been roundworms - regurgitated from a recently wormed cat? I saw this a few years ago - not a pretty sight!

The Woodman · #5 (**permalink**) 10-05-2011, 04:07 PM

The only occassions I've seen earthworms disgorged in these amounts are when gulls have been hoovering up worms forced to the surface by slurry spreading.

I've never been sure if the gulls have too many in their crops or the worms are distasteful due to the slurry contamination.

I'm going to guess you haven't been slurry spreading in your Hampshire garden but are there any fields nearby that have?

GlenT · #6 (**permalink**) 10-05-2011, 06:42 PM

LOL - you're absolutely right, Woodman, that we haven't been slurry spreading

I haven't smelled it on any local fields (and we usually CAN smell it when they do that). But anything is possible, I suppose.

Ladywell, I admit my knowledge of worms is lacking, so I don't know if they were roundworms. I looked at some google images but I can't be sure. The wormy mass in our garden seemed to contain large chunks of juicy big fat worms. That's the best way I can describe it.

I can hardly believe I'm writing this now....but I really wish I had photographed that wormy gloop

(says "she" who usually photographs pretty flowers, bluebells and birds!)

Thanks again to everybody.

Ladywell · #7 (**permalink**) 12-05-2011, 02:27 PM

If they were chunks of worm - rather than whole worms - it is unlikely that they were round worms as these are expelled (from one end or the other) as a whole. Good job we are not squeamish!

Dorts · #8 (**permalink**) 13-05-2011, 06:41 AM

If these worms were complete, then I would suggest it is a perfectly natural occurance. I have come across a 'mass' of worms as you describe a number of times. The worms usually appear in a 'ball' in what looks like saliva, usually between about five and a dozen of them.
I have normally found them like this on grass when there is dew on the ground and have thought it is probably some sort of 'mating frenzy'.
Dorts.

STYRBJORN · #9 (**permalink**) 13-05-2011, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dorts

If these worms were complete, then I would suggest it is a perfectly natural occurance. I have come across a 'mass' of worms as you describe a number of times. The worms usually appear in a 'ball' in what looks like saliva, usually between about five and a dozen of them.
I have normally found them like this on grass when there is dew on the ground and have thought it is probably some sort of 'mating frenzy'.
Dorts.

You may well be right. Worms are hermaphroditic and will stick the relevant bits up against another worm with cheerful disregard for appropriate positioning. A vermiform orgy ensues. Your reporter made his excuses and left . . .

valleyforge · #10 (**permalink**) 13-05-2011, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dorts

If these worms were complete, then I would suggest it is a perfectly natural occurance. I have come across a 'mass' of worms as you describe a number of times. The worms usually appear in a 'ball' in what looks like saliva, usually between about five and a dozen of them.
I have normally found them like this on grass when there is dew on the ground and have thought it is probably some sort of 'mating frenzy'.
Dorts.

I agree ... I've seen this too .... but, it would probably only be the explanation if the mass of worms were still alive and wriggling.

If my understanding is correct, the worm mass was washed away by the OP, suggesting perhaps that it contained no surviving members, or some mention might have been made of them.

And if it contained earthworms and not roundworms as has been suggested (a 15cm square mass of roundworms would probably represent a fatal burden for any mammal smaller than a bear

), then I'd speculate that it could most probably have been regurgitated by a badger. I can't think of any other candidate that might consume that quantity of earthworms ... I don't believe a fox would likely take that many at one time to the exclusion of other foodstuff.

Regurgitation is however not generally a good sign in mustelids ... it often indicates rather serious underlying medical conditions ... or happens when the animal gets seriously stressed into vomiting in order to divert energies involved in digestion into that needed for fighting or fleeing.